This application claims the priority of German patent document 199 46 382.4, filed Sep. 28, 1999, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a cargo area divider for motor vehicles having a planar structure a first end of which is mounted in an area of an upper edge of backrests of rear seats and a second end of which is anchored, in an operative position, in an area of a headliner, while in a non-operative position it lies behind the backrest.
Cargo area dividers of this kind are commonly known in connection with station wagons, in the form of pull-out retaining nets which are wound up, in the non-operative position, and accommodated in a cassette from which it can be pulled out in upward direction in order to be hooked into corresponding retaining elements in the area of the headliner where they are safely anchored. Given the fact that these divider nets are intended to perform their function also when, for example, the backrests of the rear seats are folded down toward the front, the nets can be pulled out from their respective cassette far enough to bridge the distance between the headliner and the folded-down backrest as well. In order to ensure with such embodiments that the nets will be prevented with sufficient security from being pulled out a further distance when it is desired that the nets should extend only from the upper edge of the backrests, in there upright condition, up to the headliner, holding means are normally provided that engage the meshes of the net in the way of a toothing and that are arranged in the area of the pull-out slot of the cassette so as to secure the fixed position of a divider net that has not been fully unwound from its winding-up shaft.
It is an object of the present invention to considerably facilitate the operation of a cargo area divider of the kind described above.
This object is achieved, with a cargo area divider of the before-mentioned kind, in that a servomotor is provided as a drive by which the second end of the planar structure can be moved from its non-operative position into its operative position, or vice versa.
According to a further development of preferred embodiments of the invention, the second end may be provided with coupling elements that coact, in the operative position, with vehicle-mounted retainers so as to fix the structure in that position via locking structure. In the case of this embodiment, it is only necessary to trigger an actuating switch whereby the cargo area divider is automatically moved into, and arrested in its operative position.
According to a further development of preferred embodiments of the invention, a sensor may be provided for monitoring the locking function in the operative position, which sensor may be designed as a limit switch actuated by at least one coupling element.
According to a further development of preferred embodiments of the invention, a sensor may be additionally provided for monitoring the loading level, which sensor activates the drive when a certain loading level is exceeded. In the case of such an embodiment, therefore, the drive is automatically activated to mount the cargo area divider when the luggage compartment, for example of a station wagon, is loaded to an extent that at least one of the pieces of luggage comes to occupy a position at the level of the backrests of the front seats. In such a case there would be the risk for the respective piece of luggage to slide forward and into the area of the passenger compartment, and to cause injury or damage if the vehicle should be braked. This embodiment, therefore, eliminates the need for the driver to operate a switch, and guarantees that the cargo area divider is positioned automatically.
According to a further development of preferred embodiments of the invention it is, however, also contemplated to provide monitoring devices that cause the planar structure to be moved abruptly into its operative position in case of a crash. Such monitoring devices may be connected with a pyrotechnical drive, or with a drive in the form of a spring energy store, so thatxe2x80x94as in the case of headrests in cabrioletsxe2x80x94it will always be ensured that the luggage will be prevented from being thrown into the passenger compartment even in cases where the cargo area divider had not been brought into its operative position because of the low loading level of the trunk, in any case however in case of accident.
According to a further development of preferred embodiments of the invention, it may be provided for a cargo area divider, which has the planar structure configured as a divider net and where the second end of the net is equipped with a full-length guide bar, that the two ends of the guide bar are guided respectively in a groove in a side wall of the vehicle body and that the drive for moving the planar structure is associated to that groove.
However, it is also contemplated by certain preferred embodiments of the invention, in the case of a cargo area divider where the planar structure can be wound up in a cassette, to associate the drive for the planar structure with the cassette, in which case the drive can be configured in known fashion as a pivoting lever arrangement by which the planar structure is pushed in upward direction.
According to a further development of preferred embodiments of the invention, the planar structure may, however, also be configured as a solid partition wall, hinged on the backrest, in which case the drive is associated to a mount for the partition wall and can be removed together with the latter.
For all these embodiments, using either a cassette with a wound-up divider net or a removable mount for a hinged partition wall, it is advantageous according to a further development of the invention if the connections for the power supply for the drive are configured as plug connections that are simply plugged in as the cargo area divider is mounted.
It has been mentioned before that when the cargo area divider is configured as a safety net that can be wound up and that can be pulled out further when the backrests are folded down, locking structure must be provided for the net when it occupies its operative position with the backrests in upright position.
According to a further development of preferred embodiments of the invention it is now possible, since a sensor can be provided for monitoring the locked position of the divider net, to provide also for dynamic locking of the roller blind shaft of the divider net in its locked and secured operative position so that the usual toothing engaging the meshes of the net need not be provided. The roller blind shaft as such can be blocked in this case in the known way when it receives a signal from the before-mentioned sensor that the divider net has been firmly and sufficiently fixed at its upper mounting points.
According to a further development of preferred embodiments of the invention, it can finally be provided that the divider net will be displaced, with the aid of the drive, only by a fraction of its overall pull-out length and that the remaining pull-out movement can be performed manually through insertion of a free-wheeling mechanism. This configuration permits the movement of the divider net to be driven automatically when the backrests of the station wagon occupy their upright position, which is the normal case. In this case, only the space between the upper edge of the backrest and the headlining of the vehicle must be bridged. In the different case, which will occur less often, automatic displacement of the divider net is not provided. In this case it is then possible, according to a further development of the invention, to provide that the second end of the divider net is detachably connected to an adjusting element operated by the drive. The second end of the divider net can then be detached and positioned manually.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.